The present invention relates to flashlights energized by batteries, and more particularly to disposable flashlights, which are intended to be completely discarded after the battery is exhausted.
Prior art flashlights typically comprise a rigid casing, which serves as the structural body of the flashlight as well as the container for one or more batteries. The casing generally includes or houses a fixture for holding a bulb, a switch and associated conductors for connecting the bulb with the one or more batteries and the switch in a circuit, in which the bulb is energized by the batteries when the switch is closed. Ordinarily, the flashlight casing, the bulb fixture and the switch are reusable, and the casing is designed to permit replacement of the battery or batteries and the bulb. In some instances, the bulb fixture, along with any associated reflector and/or lens, is detachable from the casing as a unit to facilitate replacement of components contained therein.
Known disposable flashlights also use a rigid casing or other rigid encapsulation to serve as the flashlight body and to hold the battery or batteries. Such flashlights also have a bulb fixture for holding a bulb, a switch and associated conductors for connecting the bulb fixture with the battery or batteries and the switch. However, the construction of the disposable flashlight is such that neither the bulb nor the battery or batteries are readily replaceable, since the disposable flashlight is designed to be completely discarded when the battery or batteries are exhausted or if the bulb fails. Furthermore, the construction technique, the material used for the casing and other components, the configurations of the bulb fixture and switch are all designed to achieve a low manufacturing cost, and therefore a relatively inexpensive selling price for the flashlight. However, the use of a rigid casing or other rigid encapsulation in known disposable flashlights significantly increases the manufacturing cost of such flashlights.